Delhi Police nabs man in Rs 15 cr Covid vaccine scam

New Delhi: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Delhi Police has arrested a man who had been absconding for nearly three years in a Rs 15 crore fraud case, an official said on Friday.

The accused, Prafulla Kumar Nayak, who impersonated an officer from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, played a key role in duping victims by promising work orders related to Covid-19 vaccine transportation during the pandemic, the EOW statement read.

The case originated in 2022 following a complaint by one Sunil Kaushik, who alleged that he was defrauded of Rs 4 crore under the pretext of securing government contracts for vaccine transportation. “Four additional complaints revealed a similar modus operandi, with the accused collectively duping victims of over Rs 15 crore,” Additional Commissioner of Police (EOW) Amrutha Guguloth said in the statement.